DOCSLIB.ORG

How Much Does EU Citizenship Cost? the Maltese Citizenship-For-Sale Affair: a Breakthrough for Sincere Cooperation in Citizenship of the Union? Sergio Carrera

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
How Much Does EU Citizenship Cost? the Maltese Citizenship-For-Sale Affair: a Breakthrough for Sincere Cooperation in Citizenship of the Union? Sergio Carrera How much does EU citizenship cost? The Maltese citizenship-for-sale affair: A breakthrough for sincere cooperation in citizenship of the union? Sergio Carrera No. 64/April 2014 Abstract How much does European citizenship cost in the EU? This was the question that has raised so much controversy over the Maltese citizenship-for-sale programme. The outright selling of Maltese nationality to rich foreigners led to unprecedented responses by the European Parliament and European Commission. This paper examines the affair and its relevance for current and future configurations of citizenship of the EU. It studies the extent to which member states are still free to lay down the grounds for the acquisition and loss of nationality without any EU supervision and accountability. It provides a comparative overview of member state schemes and the exact price for buying citizenship and a residency permit in the EU. It is argued that the EU’s intervention on the Maltese citizenship-for-sale affair constitutes a legal precedent for assessing the lawfulness of passport-for-sale or golden migration programmes in other EU member states. The affair has also revealed the increasing relevance of a set of European and international legal principles limiting member states’ discretion over citizenship matters and providing a supranational constellation of accountability venues scrutinising the impact of their decisions over citizenship of the Union. The Maltese citizenship-for-sale affair has placed at the forefront the EU general principle of sincere cooperation in nationality matters. Member states’ actions in the citizenship domain cannot negatively affect in substance the concept and freedoms of European citizenship. That notwithstanding, the EU institutions’ insistence on the need for Maltese nationality law to require a ‘genuine link’ in the form of an effective residence criteria for any rich applicants to benefit from the fast-track naturalisation poses a fundamental dilemma from the angle of Union citizenship: What is this genuine link really about? And what is precisely ‘habitual’, ‘effective’ or ‘functional’ residence? It is argued that by supporting the ‘real connections’ as the most relevant standard, the European institutions may paradoxically fuel nationalistic misuses by member states of the ‘genuine link’ as a way to justify restrictive integration policies on the acquisition of nationality. This paper was prepared in the context of the ILEC project (Involuntary Loss of European Citizenship: Exchanging Knowledge and Identifying Guidelines for Europe), which aims to establish a framework for debate on international norms on involuntary loss of nationality. For more information visit: www.ilecproject.eu ILEC is a research project co-funded by the European Commission’s DG Justice, Citizenship and Fundamental Rights. CEPS Papers in Liberty and Security in Europe offer the views and critical reflections of CEPS researchers and external collaborators on key policy discussions surrounding the construction of the EU’s Area of Freedom, Security and Justice. The series encompasses policy-oriented and interdisciplinary academic studies and commentary about the internal and external implications of Justice and Home Affairs policies inside Europe and elsewhere throughout the world. Unless otherwise indicated, the views expressed are attributable only to the author in a personal capacity and not to any institution with which he is associated. This publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form for non-profit purposes only and on the condition that the source is fully acknowledged. ISBN 978-94-6138-396-9 Available for free downloading from the CEPS website (http://www.ceps.eu) ©CEPS, 2014 Contents 1. Introduction........................................................................................................................................... 1 2. Background to the controversy: EU passports for sale! .......................................................................... 3 3. Reactions from the European institutions: Citizenship must not be up for sale! ...................................... 6 4. Investor citizenship and residency programmes in the EU: A comparative outlook................................. 9 4.1 Investor citizenship-for-sale programmes ..................................................................................... 10 4.2 Investor residency programmes .................................................................................................... 13 4.3 How much does citizenship and security of residency cost in the EU? .......................................... 16 4.4 So why only Malta? ..................................................................................................................... 19 5. Legal grounds backing EU intervention: Post-national citizenship principles and accountability venues .................................................................................................................... 20 5.1 Supranational standards and judge-made principles ...................................................................... 20 5.2 The principle of sincere cooperation re-loaded ............................................................................. 22 5.3 Sincere cooperation, nationality and the genuine link: Living apart together? ............................... 24 6. Conclusions......................................................................................................................................... 30 References .................................................................................................................................................. 33 Annex 1. Individual Investor Programme of the Republic of Malta ............................................................. 35 Annex 2. Investor Citizenship Programmes in the EU ................................................................................. 36 Annex 3. Investor Residency Programmes in the EU ................................................................................... 43 How much does EU citizenship cost? The Maltese citizenship-for-sale affair: A breakthrough for sincere cooperation in citizenship of the union? Sergio Carrera* CEPS Paper in Liberty and Security in Europe No. 64 / April 2014 1. Introduction The Maltese citizenship-for-sale affair has attracted wide attention since its inception at the end of 2013. The announcement by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s government of an amendment to the Maltese Citizenship Act introducing an investor citizenship programme selling Maltese nationality to any foreigner making a donation to the State or investing a substantial amount of euros in the country without any other requirement led to controversy both in domestic and European circles. The case presented an evident European dimension. What Malta was actually planning to put on sale was not only its own nationality, but also the supranational status enshrined in citizenship of the Union. Any person holding the nationality of a member state is a European citizen and enjoys the rights attached to it, such as the freedom to move and reside within the territory of the Union. At the heart of the debates surrounding the adequacy of the Maltese initiative has been the extent to which the European institutions, and in particular the European Commission, could legally intervene and prevent the Maltese government from introducing the scheme. From an EU legal viewpoint the case was a difficult one to argue. Questions related to the acquisition and loss of nationality have remained engrained in the exclusive competence of member states since the kick-off of citizenship of the Union in 1993, with the entry into force of the Maastricht Treaty. One of the most sacred of cows in the division of competences between the member states and the EU is the entitlement to control citizenship laws. No one can become an EU citizen without first passing through the hands of a member state. Since the introduction of EU citizenship, a number of member states have been exceedingly anxious to keep the EU out of their citizenship laws and policies.1 Since then, citizenship has been something of a ‘hands-off’ area as regards EU law. The extent to which member states are fully autonomous in the regulation of nationality has, however, become increasingly contested. Nevertheless, something fundamental has changed over the last 20 years. The classic boundaries delimiting member states’ discretion over nationality laws have been reshaped as a consequence of the emergence of a set of international principles and legal and judicial accountability venues overseeing their domestic actions. The degree of exclusivity traditionally enjoyed by EU member states has been progressively re-modelled, sometimes in unexpected ways. Moreover, while formally keeping their autonomy in the regulation of nationality issues, the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg has on several occasions held * Dr. Sergio Carrera is Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Justice and Home Affairs Section at the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS) in Brussels. The author would like to first express his gratitude to Prof. Elspeth Guild for her substantial comments and suggestions on earlier drafts of this essay. He is also very grateful for the valuable comments received on a previous draft by Prof. René de Groot (University of Maastricht) and an anonymous external reviewer. He would like to thank Prof. Judit Tóth (University
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Jane Katkova & Associates
    Jane Katkova & Associates Global Mobility Solutions Your Speedy Gateway To The World CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT MALTA Jane Katkova &Global Associates Mobility Solutions presents the first Citizenship-by-Investment Program approved by European Union in MALTA In the recent decade since joining the EU in 2004 Malta has become a strategic destination for alternative citizenship seekers from around the World. Malta attracts high-end investors and traders due to the strength and impeccable reputation of financial services sector, excellent ICT infrastructure, health care facilities, low crime rate, productive and highly educated workforce, education options both in Malta and European Union. WHY CHOOSE MALTA? With Maltese passport you can experience the freedom of being a Global Citizen and take advantage of the following prime benefits: • Fast processing within 3-4 months; • Fast track residence cards within 1-3 weeks with Schengen mobility for 18 months; • A total of 12 months to passport issue (inclusive of processing time) from date of initial residency; • Inclusion of dependent children under 25 years of age; • Inclusion of dependent parents, 65+ years of age; • Remittance basis of taxation 15% flat rate on foreign source income; 35 % flat rate on income arising in Malta; • No world-wide income/wealth tax - tax only paid on income remitted to and kept in Malta; • Visa-free travel to over 166 countries, including EU, Canada, USA, UK; • Schengen Residence and Work Permit eligibility; • Malta recognizes dual citizenship, therefore you can still benefit from your current citizenship status; • No need to purchase property; property rental option available; • You may qualify for Malta Retirement Program.
    [Show full text]
  • Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Schemes
    Temple Chambers 3-7 Temple Avenue London EC4Y 0HP United Kingdom (Tel) +44 (0) 20 7583 8739 Website: www.caribbean-council.org Caribbean citizenship by investment schemes A number of Caribbean countries offer citizenship for investment schemes whereby passports are provided for an investment in real estate or a donation with little or no requirement to reside in the country. St Kitts has the oldest scheme dating from 1984; Antigua, Dominica and Grenada also offer them; and other Caribbean islands have been considering them. Caribbean Governments facing difficult economic challenges see the schemes as a new source of income; property and other developers are using them to raise capital for new schemes; and wealthy individuals from around the world see the advantage in owning a passport which gives them visa-free travel to many countries. However, Governments in North America and Europe are beginning to look more closely at the Caribbean’s citizenship for investment schemes, after a small but growing number of incidents have raised concerns about who passports are being issued to and the robustness of due diligence checks on applicants. In May this year, the US Treasury issued an advisory on the St Kitts citizenship scheme due to concerns that some are using the scheme for money laundering. Most recently, the Canadian Government announced that it would impose visas on all citizens from St Kitts-Nevis on 22 November 2014, due to its ‘concerns about the issuance of passports’ and ‘the identity management practices’ by the St Kitts authorities in relation to its Citizenship by Investment programme.
    [Show full text]
  • Maltese Immigrants in Detroit and Toronto, 1919-1960
    Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports 2018 Britishers in Two Worlds: Maltese Immigrants in Detroit and Toronto, 1919-1960 Marc Anthony Sanko Follow this and additional works at: https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd Recommended Citation Sanko, Marc Anthony, "Britishers in Two Worlds: Maltese Immigrants in Detroit and Toronto, 1919-1960" (2018). Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports. 6565. https://researchrepository.wvu.edu/etd/6565 This Dissertation is protected by copyright and/or related rights. It has been brought to you by the The Research Repository @ WVU with permission from the rights-holder(s). You are free to use this Dissertation in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you must obtain permission from the rights-holder(s) directly, unless additional rights are indicated by a Creative Commons license in the record and/ or on the work itself. This Dissertation has been accepted for inclusion in WVU Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports collection by an authorized administrator of The Research Repository @ WVU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Britishers in Two Worlds: Maltese Immigrants in Detroit and Toronto, 1919-1960 Marc Anthony Sanko Dissertation submitted to the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at West Virginia University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History Kenneth Fones-Wolf, Ph.D., Chair James Siekmeier, Ph.D. Joseph Hodge, Ph.D. Melissa Bingmann, Ph.D. Mary Durfee, Ph.D. Department of History Morgantown, West Virginia 2018 Keywords: Immigration History, U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Hot, New Trend and Ultimate Status Symbol Passport and Permit Kings
    EUROPEAN G E TAWAY INSIDE THE MURKY WORLD OF GOLDEN VISAS Hot, new trend and ultimate status symbol ...for oligarchs and tycoons. Zooming in on Cyprus, Malta and Portugal | P. 8 Passport and permit kings Golden visas don’t sell themselves – there is a very lucrative industry trading in citizenship and residency | P.29 HAS EUROPE OPENED ITS DOORS ...to the criminal EU’s time to act and corrupt? Passport and permit trade in one Member State affects the entire Union | P.48 Transparency International and Global Witness 2018. Research for this report was supported by the Global Anti-Corruption Consortium, a groundbreaking partnership to accelerate the global fight against corruption by bringing together investigative journalists and activists. The Consortium is spearheaded by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and advocacy is driven by Transparency International. Global Witness is working in cooperation with the Consortium on this issue. Transparency International (transparency.org) is a global movement with one vision: a world in which government, business, civil society and the daily lives of people are free of corruption. With more than 100 chapters worldwide and an international secretariat in Berlin, we are leading the fight against corruption to turn this vision into reality. Global Witness (globalwitness.org) investigates and campaigns to change the system by exposing the economic networks behind conflict, corruption and environmental destruction. Global Witness is a company limited by guarantee and incorporated in England (No.2871809). Authors: Transparency International (Laure Brillaud and Maíra Martini) and Global Witness Every effort has been made to verify the accuracy of the information contained in this report.
    [Show full text]
  • Eu Citizenship by Investment
    EU CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT Malta & Cyprus Citizenship by Investment Programmes cclex.com/citizenship-law MALTA The Republic of Malta enjoys a stable political climate and a bi-partisan political scene that is largely convergent on issues of national and economic importance. Malta has weathered the financial crises well and shared the limelight with Germany as the only two states maintaining economic growth in the Euro Zone. Malta’s banks have been ranked amongst the top 5 soundest banks in the world. Malta has been a member of the European Union since 2004 and is part of Schengen since 2007. Citizenship obtained under this programme grants the rights of full citizenship for life and can be passed on to future generations by descent. MALTA ........................................………………...................................................... 3 Maltese citizenship grants access to all investment opportunities in Malta and throughout the European Union open to Benefits of Malta Citizenship .................................................................................. 4 Maltese and European Union citizens. Eligibility for Maltese Citizenship by Investment ...................................................... 6 Malta Citizenship Application Process ..................................................................... 8 LEGAL BASIS FOR MALTESE CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT CONTENTS Taxation of New Citizens ........................................................................................ 11 Maltese Citizenship by Investment is granted
    [Show full text]
  • Prime Minister Joseph Muscat Hails Malta's Links with Royal Family
    22 CONSULATE OF MALTA IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA NEWSLETTER DECEMBER 2013 FRANK L SCICLUNA - HON CONSUL - LINKING MALTA AND AUSTRALIA Tel: (08) 8269 2948 EMAIL: [email protected] Prime Minister Joseph Muscat hails Malta’s links with royal family Prince Charles drew riotous laughter from guests at a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting on Friday evening when he recounted a colourful anecdote of waterskiing with Malta’s former Prime Minister Dom Mintoff. Speaking at Friday’s CHOGM banquet, Prince Charles recalled how, as a student, he had gone waterskiing with Prime Minister Mintoff and, despite having been nicknamed ‘the Action Man Prince’, Mintoff had bested him at the athletic sport and left the Prince treading water in his wake. In his speech, the Prince recounted stories about world leaders he had met and the countries he had visited over the past decades. At one point, the Prince of Wales recounted how he had gone waterskiing with Mintoff until he could not handle it anymore and let go of the rope. “I let go of the rope, he went on and I never saw him again!” Prince Charles recounted, reportedly leaving his heads of governments audience in ‘hysterics’, according to reports from insiders at the banquet. Although he did not say exactly when this incident had taken place, outdistancing the young and very active prince was quite a feat, considering the fact that Mintoff was 32 years older than the Prince. Prince Charles added: “The result of all this over all these years is that I feel very much part of a family, it’s in my blood – I hate to tell you – and I’ve been brought up in the family.
    [Show full text]
  • RSCAS 2014/01Should Citizenship Be for Sale?
    RSCAS 2014/01 Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies EUDO Citizenship Observatory Should Citizenship be for Sale? edited by Ayelet Shachar and Rainer Bauböck European University Institute Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies European Union Democracy Observatory on Citizenship Should Citizenship be for Sale? Ayelet Shachar and Rainer Bauböck EUI Working Paper RSCAS 2014/01 This text may be downloaded only for personal research purposes. Additional reproduction for other purposes, whether in hard copies or electronically, requires the consent of the author(s), editor(s). If cited or quoted, reference should be made to the full name of the author(s), editor(s), the title, the working paper, or other series, the year and the publisher. ISSN 1028-3625 © Ayelet Shachar and Rainer Bauböck, 2014 Printed in Italy, January 2014 European University Institute Badia Fiesolana I – 50014 San Domenico di Fiesole (FI) Italy www.eui.eu/RSCAS/Publications/ www.eui.eu cadmus.eui.eu Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies The Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (RSCAS), created in 1992 and directed by Brigid Laffan since September 2013, aims to develop inter-disciplinary and comparative research and to promote work on the major issues facing the process of integration and European society. The Centre is home to a large post-doctoral programme and hosts major research programmes and projects, and a range of working groups and ad hoc initiatives. The research agenda is organised around a set of core themes and is continuously evolving, reflecting the changing agenda of European integration and the expanding membership of the European Union.
    [Show full text]
  • Citizenship Unmoored: Expatriation As a Counter-Terrorism Tool
    CITIZENSHIP UNMOORED: EXPATRIATION AS A COUNTER-TERRORISM TOOL LESLIE ESBROOK J.D., Yale Law School ’15. My deepest thanks go to Professors W. Michael Reisman and Muneer Ahmad for their encouragement and thoughtful edits, the Salzburg Global Seminar’s Lloyd N. Cutler Fellows Program, and the editors at the University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law for their diligent re- view. 1273 Published by Penn Law: Legal Scholarship Repository, 2016 1274 U. Pa. J. Int’l L. [Vol. 37:4 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. History of Citizenship and Nationality Laws in the U.S. and Beyond ............................................................................... 1278 1.1. The U.S. Example ................................................................ 1278 1.2. Other Western Nations ....................................................... 1281 2. Current Counter-Terrorism Laws on Citizenship ............... 1284 2.1. Enacted Laws ....................................................................... 1285 2.1.1. The UK ...................................................................... 1285 2.1.2. Canada, Israel, and Australia .................................... 1287 2.1.3. Non-Western Countries ............................................ 1289 2.2. Proposed Laws ..................................................................... 1291 2.2.1. The U.S. ..................................................................... 1291 2.2.2. Other Western Countries .......................................... 1293 3. What Rights Does Expatriation Affect?
    [Show full text]
  • Citizenship by Investment (CBI) and Residency by Investment (RBI) Schemes in the EU
    Citizenship by Investment (CBI) and Residency by Investment (RBI) schemes in the EU State of play, issues and impacts STUDY EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service Authors: Amandine Scherrer and Elodie Thirion Ex-Post Evaluation Unit and European Added Value Unit PE 627.128 – October 2018 Citizenship by investment (CBI) and residency by investment (RBI) schemes in the EU State of play, issues and impacts All EU Member States have incentives in place to attract foreign investment from non-EU nationals. Most have Citizenship by investment (CBI) or Residency by investment (RBI) schemes (known as 'golden passports' and 'golden visas'), providing access to residency or citizenship in exchange for investment and via a clear process. However, obtaining a residence permit and/or citizenship through these schemes can give access to very favourable tax regimes, and raises both questions of fairness and concerns regarding the risks. In response to a request from the European Parliament's Special Committee on Financial Crimes, Tax Evasion and Tax Avoidance (TAX3) for a study on CBI and RBI schemes in the EU, the Ex-Post Evaluation Unit (EVAL) and the European Added Value Unit (EAVA) of the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) have analysed the state of play and issues surrounding these schemes and developed an innovative methodology to identify questions that raise particular challenges, taking into account the TAX3 Committee's specific concerns. This study examines the risks these schemes carry regarding corruption, money laundering and tax evasion. The study also looks at the economic, social and political impacts of such schemes and explores the potential for EU action in this field.
    [Show full text]
  • (CBI) and Residency by Investment (RBI) Schemes in the EU
    Citizenship by Investment (CBI) and Residency by Investment (RBI) schemes in the EU State of play, issues and impacts STUDY EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service Authors: Amandine Scherrer and Elodie Thirion Ex-Post Evaluation Unit and European Added Value Unit PE 627.128 – October 2018 Citizenship by investment (CBI) and residency by investment (RBI) schemes in the EU State of play, issues and impacts All EU Member States have incentives in place to attract foreign investment from non-EU nationals. Most have Citizenship by investment (CBI) or Residency by investment (RBI) schemes (known as 'golden passports' and 'golden visas'), providing access to residency or citizenship in exchange for investment and via a clear process. However, obtaining a residence permit and/or citizenship through these schemes can give access to very favourable tax regimes, and raises both questions of fairness and concerns regarding the risks. In response to a request from the European Parliament's Special Committee on Financial Crimes, Tax Evasion and Tax Avoidance (TAX3) for a study on CBI and RBI schemes in the EU, the Ex-Post Evaluation Unit (EVAL) and the European Added Value Unit (EAVA) of the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) have analysed the state of play and issues surrounding these schemes and developed an innovative methodology to identify questions that raise particular challenges, taking into account the TAX3 Committee's specific concerns. This study examines the risks these schemes carry regarding corruption, money laundering and tax evasion. The study also looks at the economic, social and political impacts of such schemes and explores the potential for EU action in this field.
    [Show full text]
  • RSCAS 2014/01Should Citizenship Be for Sale?
    Edinburgh Research Explorer The Maltese Falcon, or Citation for published version: Dzankic, J 2014 'The Maltese Falcon, or: My Porsche for a Passport! ' EUI Working Paper Series, no. 01, vol. 2014, European University Institute, Italy, pp. 17-18. <http://eudo- citizenship.eu/images/docs/Citizenship-for-Sale-RSCAS_2014_01.pdf> Link: Link to publication record in Edinburgh Research Explorer Document Version: Publisher's PDF, also known as Version of record General rights Copyright for the publications made accessible via the Edinburgh Research Explorer is retained by the author(s) and / or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing these publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights. Take down policy The University of Edinburgh has made every reasonable effort to ensure that Edinburgh Research Explorer content complies with UK legislation. If you believe that the public display of this file breaches copyright please contact [email protected] providing details, and we will remove access to the work immediately and investigate your claim. Download date: 06. Oct. 2021 RSCAS 2014/01 Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies EUDO Citizenship Observatory Should Citizenship be for Sale? edited by Ayelet Shachar and Rainer Bauböck European University Institute Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies European Union Democracy Observatory on Citizenship Should Citizenship be for Sale? Ayelet Shachar and Rainer Bauböck EUI Working Paper RSCAS 2014/01 This text may be downloaded only for personal research purposes. Additional reproduction for other purposes, whether in hard copies or electronically, requires the consent of the author(s), editor(s).
    [Show full text]
  • Visa Advice for Maltese Nationals Notification from the Ministry For
    VISA ADVICE FOR MALTESE NATIONALS NOTIFICATION FROM THE MINISTRY FOR FOREIGN AND EUROPEAN AFFAIRS LAST UPDATE: 01 October 2021 Please note that in view of the Covid pandemic- not all countries are open for travel. There are also Maltese Legal Notices concerning Travel Bans whereby Maltese nationals and persons residing in Malta may require special authorisation from Maltese Health Authorities in order to travel (https://deputyprimeminister.gov.mt/en/health- promotion/covid-19/Pages/travel.aspx ) In specific cases, the rules concerning visas have changed or been suspended. Therefore, please do contact our Visa Advisory Unit on 22042331 or 22042313 or write an e-mail to [email protected] to double check directly whether the positions outlined below still apply or otherwise. The list below reflects the position under ‘normal’ (non-covid) circumstances. Disclaimer: The Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs is not responsible for the issuing of visas to Maltese nationals by foreign states. Visa requirements for Maltese nationals going abroad are invariably subject to changes by host countries. The Ministry for Foreign and European Affairs through its Visa Advisory Unit endeavours to provide information available to it at the time of submission of the query. The information related to visa requirements contained in this document is only indicative, and is issued to assist Maltese passport holders. The Ministry shall not be held responsible for any variance in the information provided. The applicant may wish to double-check requirements independently of this service. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that enquiries are submitted well in advance of the planned date of departure.
    [Show full text]